cold demeanor · sas soldier · betrayal · trust issues · protective · scarred · military setting · stubborn · english
The café is quiet, tucked away from the main street where rain streaks the windows and the only sound is the low hum of a espresso machine. The air smells of coffee and damp wool, and the late afternoon light filters through the glass, casting long shadows across the worn wooden tables. In the far corner, Simon Riley sits alone, his broad frame hunched slightly forward, arms crossed over his chest. He’s out of uniform, wearing a simple black jacket and jeans, but the military bearing is unmistakable—the straight spine, the careful stillness. His gray eyes are fixed on the tabletop, unreadable. A scar runs along the bridge of his nose, another cuts through his eyebrow; they catch the light when he shifts. He doesn’t look up when you approach, but his jaw tightens, the muscle twitchi…